Beyond Heart's Borders
by elusivemuse
Summary: After witnessing a horrific robbery, Audrina Grace decides that her life needs some sort of change. As she applies for a job at Wayne Enterprises, she ends up getting more than she bargained for. Bruce Wayne/ Original Character
1. Chapter 1

**Beyond Heart's Borders**

**Written By**

**PupofPower**

**I do not own Batman and I am not making any money from this fiction.**

Friday, pay day, the day when everyone went in to do his or her banking. In a place like Gotham, Mob bosses were more than happy to come out of the woodwork deposit their illegal earnings and swindle customers standing in line. For those who lived day to day, week to week, on their earnings, Friday was a day bittersweet. A day where they could feed their families, but pay insurmountable living expenses that never gave up.

Audrina Grace, a pixie modern day Audrey Hepburn, walked into Gotham City Bank, groaning lightly at the length of the line. The bank was gaudy, cream marble pillars and tiles, gold trimmings and dark woods, showing exactly the kind of revenue it received. Audrey felt underdressed in her denim skinny jeans, plaid red top and black flats. Joining the line, she found herself behind a well-dressed elder man and, beside him; a much younger man in what she thought was a designer suit.

It fitted him to a tee, showing off his large muscular body with sharp pressed lines. Although unable to see the front of him, Audrey had to admit, the back view was quite impressive. A small business manager stumbled over to them, his eyes on the man before her.

"Mr. Wayne," he squeaked nervously, "Please, come into my office and assist you straight away."

He turned, revealing his profile. A square chiseled jaw spoke of unparalleled power, a large nose gave him a sense of regal-ness, thin lips pursed in thought as dark eyes swooped the bank's lobby.

"Is everyone else getting served immediately?" He asked lowly. The manager before him spluttered to come up with a reply.

"Forgive me, Mr. Wayne, but not everyone here is as valued a client as you."

"So you're saying the millions you get each day from the combined effort of these fine people isn't as good as my money?" The man frowned and turned to her. "Do you think the bank would set up an entire private office with a coffee and spa for me?" he added dryly, bitingly sarcastic, and then shook his head at the manager. "I'll wait, like your apparently valueless other customers, thank you."

Audrey stared at him in surprise. The man in front of her was Bruce Wayne, the Billion-Dollar Playboy, and he had actually said something to her. Fighting a blush, she leaned up and tapped his shoulder softly, marveling at the hardness underneath the soft cloth. "Mr. Wayne?" she asked quietly, waiting for him to turn and face her. He looked down at her with polite interest. "I just want to say thank you for sticking up for the rest of us, I don't know about them, but I sure as hell appreciate it." A lazy smile graced his thin lips. Opening his mouth, he began to speak, just as the bank doors burst open.

A gunshot sounded. For a beat, it was quiet. A second shot sounded, and people started screaming, lunging for the ground. Audrey stared at the masked robbers in shock, barely registering Bruce grabbing her arm, pushing her under the deposit desk, and situating himself in front of her, blocking the criminals' view. The elder man sat at his side, before leaning over a whispering.

"I hope the next robbery we are in, you protect me like that, Master Bruce." The younger male tossed him a grin as a third shot went off.

"Everybody on the ground! NOW!" one of the masked men yelled, walking over to the tellers and yanking one of the women from behind it. Pulling her up against his body, he held a pistol to her temple. "This is a robbery," he sneered.

Slowly, Audrey shifted on to her knees and peeked over Bruce's shoulder, balancing herself against his back. "Stay back," he hissed at her, reaching behind him and pushing her back into the dark space.

"Now, as the usual manual goes, give us what we want, and no-one will get hurt…well, maybe we'll deviate from that. What do you say boys?" The other masked men twittered and the leader shot the teller. Audrey let out a shocked gasp, pressing her face into Bruce's back as the body fell to the floor with a solid thump. The man pulled up a pregnant woman, his hands caressing her stomach in a sick mockery of concern. "We want ten million out of the vault, immediately."

The woman screamed and pleaded, begging them to spare her and her unborn child. Audrey was horrified, Bruce tense and dangerously coiled in front of her. "Oh, god, he's going to kill her, isn't he?" she whispered, sickened.

"Stay down and stay hidden," Bruce ordered again, tossing his companion a glance. The other teller rushed towards the back, several moneybags in hand.

"You have thirty seconds before Mama and Baby meets their end," The leader called out cheerfully, ignoring the panicked cries of the woman in his arms. Audrey muttered denials under her breath, staring at the woman, unable to take her eyes from her as the count down started. Agonized cries poured down both their faces as the count got closer and closer to zero.

The other teller burst into the room, running, sweat pouring down his red face, as the masked leader reached zero and pulled the trigger. Audrey wasn't the only one who cried out as the woman fell to the ground, her sightless eyes boring into hers. She struggled to hold in her sobs as the robbers picked up the bags and ran out of the bank, laughing and whooping as distant sirens surged closer. It was all over in under two minutes. The dead woman continued to stare into her eyes, unable to look in any other direction as blood pooled around her.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter One**

**I do not own Batman, nor Christian Bale. I want to thank Soccer-Bitch for beta reading for me. Enjoy and please, leave a review when you're done.**

Wayne Tower had always been a symbol of hope for the citizens of Gotham City, at least when Thomas Wayne had been alive. Since his death and consequential take over by Mr. Earle, and the joint effort of the depression that ravaged the city, the Wayne Tower became an illusion, an icon of the way things were, of idealisms shattered by reality.

Wayne Tower had always been a symbol of hope for the citizens of Gotham City, at least when Thomas Wayne had been alive. Since his death and consequential take over of Wayne Industries by Mr. Earle, and the depression that engulfed the city, Wayne Tower's symbol of hope had once been as bright as the sun was now as dark as the nights in Gotham City. The ideals that Thomas Wayne had poured into his business were all but a memory.

It was dealt an even harsher blow when the son of the entrepreneurial Wayne disappeared after the appeal of his parent's murderer. Even with the murderer dead, no one had seen him since he got into the car of Rachel Dawes, a childhood friend of his, right after the appealed case. Even with his vanishing act, no one had questioned her on his whereabouts. Knowing that he was gone, she hadn't bothered to file a missing person's report, she waited until her boss showed it to her, it had been filed by Alfred Pennyworth the Wayne butler.

However, his return seemed to spark new life, in which also came a new face. A vigilante seeking justice, he called himself Batman. Yet, since the vigilante's subsequent rise in fame, the Wayne building found itself in the shadows constantly compared to the masked man. Yet, like Mother Nature, Wayne Tower and Wayne Enterprises surged forward, bringing affordable technology that truly benefited the community.

Audrey stared at the building in front of her, smoothing down her navy pencil skirt nervously. Her father had once worshiped the ground Thomas Wayne walked on, often boasting about Wayne's latest deeds at the dinner table, while her mother paraded around in imitation outfits replicated from clothes she had seen Martha Wayne wearing in the local newspapers and magazines.

They died the same year Bruce's parents met their unfortunate and gruesome fate. However, unlike the Billion Dollar Playboy's parents, who had been shot by pure circumstance, Audrey's parents lost their lives by denying the mob money and information about Wayne Enterprises.

Thankfully, she had been staying at a friend's place at that time. Her friend's mother drove her back home, later that evening, only to find swirling lights and police cars everywhere. The car had barely stopped before she was out the door, running to the home, only to be caught by one of the officers.

She hadn't taken the deaths well, or the subsequent foster homes. Her mother's parents lived in a nursing home and were unable to take care of her, so she became surly and quiet, a wallflower to those who did notice her and offer her a place in their home.

When she was able to move out on her own, she left as soon as she turned eighteen. Renting a cheap room with other students she had previously met. Studying as much as possible so she could to get a decent job, she promised herself that she would make something of herself. The first serious job she fell into was as a receptionist at a quaint out-patient office between the Palisades and Gotham City. The job paid generously, at least until it was bought and the new owners had decided to let her go.

It was the same day that she entered the bank and became a witness to the robbery. A robbery that changed her in ways she didn't even know about.

Two weeks later, after she had applied for a personal assistant position, she found herself in front of Wayne Tower, nervous, pleased and ready to start. The phone call, with her acceptance into the company, was so very welcome. Bills had to be paid, and in a city like Gotham, well, money either bought you protection or kept you out of the mob's clutches. At least until a bank was robbed.

The therapist advised her to take it easy, but at the same time not to be afraid of leaving her home. Chances were that it wouldn't happen a second time. But she didn't know Gotham as well most of the residents in the city, having only moved to the crime capital barely months before.

Wayne Enterprises was one of the most secure buildings in Gotham, one of the reasons why she wanted the job so much. She figured not only was it a good place to start her re-emergence back into society, but it was also a way to remember her parents by.

Swallowing her nerves, she walked up the stone stairs and into the building, a blast of cool recycled air stirring her bangs into her eyes. Sweeping it back behind her ear impatiently, she made her way to the reception desk, an open, slightly nervous, smile gracing her lips. The woman behind the desk, an older, matronly woman, stared at her from behind rhinestone glasses.

She seemed friendly enough, a ready smile on her attractive features and dressed in a plum business suit that contrasted nicely with her silver streaked black hair. "How can I help you?" she asked, her voice low and soothing.

"Um, hi, I'm Audrina Grace; I applied for the Personal Assistant position about a week ago, and was accepted. They told me, the Human Resources people, to come to the front desk, ready to start."

The woman looked down at her desk, shuffling a few files around, until coming to a list. "Here we are, Audrina Grace. Sign into the visitors' log then you'll need take the elevator up to the fourteenth floor. Sally Goldman is the woman at the front desk. She will show you around the building and give you your new duties." Audrey smiled and thanked the woman before she turned and walked to the elevator, ready to begin her new life.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter two**

**Thanks to Soccer-Bitch for beta reading and thanks to those who have patiently waited for this chapter, I'm sorry for making you wait so long. After a hell of a lot of stuff that had been going on. I'm finally back into the swing of writing again!**

"_So how are you today, Audrina?" the therapist asked politely, gazing over __her__ expensive wooden desk with a poised, yet distant expression. Like all the other people she had seen, the woman in front of her openly admired having expensive trimmings, opting for the sophisticated trappings like velvet drapes, large wooden desks and leather couches. With a wry twist in her smile, she knew exactly where all her money went to._

"_It's hard, getting out of the house, but I'm __doing__fine__." She said quietly, twisting her hands together as they rested on her knee length black dress pants. Clearing her throat lightly, she tugged at her lacy cream singlet._

"_And your…roommates?" she inquired, checking __her__ notes before staring up at her from her glasses. "How are they reacting to your __situation?"_

_Feeling more and more like a chastised child, she shifted in her chair. "Um, they're __really understanding,__ giving me space and what not."_

"_I prefer it if they didn't give you space, I am a firm believer in jumping straight back into normal routine, getting back onto the horse, if you will. Too much space will lead to too much thought over the incident and that in turn would lead straight to expanding on your fears."_

_Audrina frowned at her. "Well they haven't been tip toeing around me, if that's what you're asking. They've been helping me look for a new job in the city."_

"_Oh?"_

"_Yeah, I've applied at Wayne Enterprises, my dad worked there before his death and thought highly of the company when Thomas Wayne ran things."_

_###_

"Miss Grace?" a woman in her mid thirties met Audrina as she walked out of the elevator. Audrina looked up with a polite smile.

"Yes, that's me," she replied quietly.

"Wonderful. I'm Sally Goldman, head of Human Resources," the woman brusquely shook Audrina's hand before grabbing her arm and pulling her towards an office. "It's great to finally meet you. Your previous employer gave us such a glowing recommendation that I just simply _had_ to hire you." The woman seemed over the top and vivacious. Tight blond curls bounced off of a slate grey business suit, with glittering brown eyes dancing from beneath long blonde lashes.

"Um, I wanted to thank you very much for offering me this position. I understand that it usually isn't something that's offered to someone outside of the company?" Audrina inquired softly, unsure if she should bring the topic up.

"Mr. Fox was adamant that we bring in somebody new, he wasn't too impressed with the performance of the previous girls I had sent up. Which is strange, considering Coleman Reese, the head of accounting, was quite pleased with them. I suppose the sciences and accounting have different ideas on what is important for performance."

Audrina nodded her head, not quite understanding what the woman was talking about. "So what would be some of my general duties?"

"Well, you're the new Personal Assistant for Mr. Fox, so the normal duties like, screening incoming calls, checking emails, reviewing documentation, sending mail, research for meetings, scheduling reservations and the like. However, you'll also be expected to help with management conferences, travel arrangements and the co-ordination of all demands to achieve the maximum ease needed for a CEO in this company. Who knows, you may even get asked to pick up the dry cleaning," Sally tossed her a grin as they entered her office.

"Seems simple enough."

Sally tossed her a wry smile. "You'll be handling sensitive material for the company, so I need to have you sign a non-disclosure agreement, as well as fill out all these other forms." She pulled out a thick folder. "In there is our policies, our expectations, a bit of information about the company, dress codes, that sort of thing, plus your super forms and account details we need to deposit your pay. Any questions?"

"Um, just wondering which floor will I be working on and the hours I'm expected to work," Audrina replied, staring down at the large amount of paper in front of her with a bit of trepidation.

"Mr. Fox's office is the same floor as Mr. Wayne's, so that would be on the fifty seventh floor, near the conference rooms. As for hours, well, Mr. Fox will let you know when you need to start and when you finish. Although I do have to warn you, the other girls experienced rather early mornings and very late nights. So how about we start the tour of the building?"

With a nod of her head, Audrina followed the woman taking in everything that she could.

####

"God! What a day," Audrina puffed as she collapsed onto the couch with her paper work. Her roommate, Lydia Boyd, pounced on the seat next to her, the slim glittery blue scarf getting caught between her and the seat. Letting out a choked sound, Lydia loosened it around her neck and looked at her expectantly.

"So did you get to see the ever so dreamy Mr. Wayne yet?" She demanded with a goofy grin plastered on her face. Lydia, after hearing about how Bruce Wayne had protected Audrina during the robbery, had immediately become a fan of the man and joined his ever expanding fan club, with alarming results. She didn't even want to know what the girl did will all the posters she bought off of Ebay. Audrina shook her head at her friend and sighed, wishing she was like Lydia in jean shorts and a black tank, rather than her suit.

"Nope, but I need to fill all of this out tonight for my seven in the morning start," she moaned lightly. "Why couldn't I have developed a phobia that prevented me from going outside?"

"You know I wouldn't have let that happen, and you still have a chance to see Bruce more than I ever will," the other girl sighed, picking up the grey kitten that had been walking past them.

"You'll squeal when I tell you my next piece of news then," Audrina grinned. "Apparently my boss, Mr. Fox, and I are working on the same floor as a bunch of empty conference rooms and the office of your fantasy, Mr. Wayne."

"OH MY GOD! Are you serious?" Lydia's dark eyes were large with wonder, her thin blue-black layered hair swaying softly.

"Yeah, so when you come up and visit me, bring your paparazzi camera, and you're bound to get kicked out by Mr. Wayne's body guards," she laughed.

"You you think they'll bodily throw me out onto the street?" Lydia asked eagerly, patting the cat in a creepy manner.

"I'm sure they would if you asked nicely."


End file.
